Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science

6.002 – Electronic Circuits

Fall 2004

Lab 2: MOSFET Inverting Amplifiers & First-Order Circuits

Handout F04-36

Introduction
This lab examines the behavior of an inverting MOSFET amplifier. It begins by examining the
static input-output relation of the amplifier, and concludes by examining the dynamic behavior of
the same amplifier when used as a digital logic inverter. You should complete the pre-lab exercises
in your lab notebook before coming to lab. Then, carry out the in-lab exercises between October
25 and October 29. After completing the in-lab exercises, have a TA or LA check your work and
sign your lab notebook. Before asking to get checked off, make sure you meet all the
requirements in the checkoff list at the end of the In-Lab Exercises (page 4). Finally,
complete the post-lab exercises in your lab notebook, and turn in your lab notebook on or before
Wednesday November 3.
Bring in your favorite CD for In-Lab Exercise 2-3; it is meant to be a fun experiment and its
results will not be needed for the post lab exercises. If you have a portable CD player or laptop,
bring that to use for In-Lab Exercise 2-3, as the stockroom has only a limited number of CD players
and speakers available.

Pre-Lab Exercises
(2-1) Consider the inverting MOSFET amplifier shown in Figure 1. Using the SCS MOSFET
model, write an expression for vOUT as a function of vIN for 0 ≤ vIN ≤ vOUT + VTM . Also,
sketch and clearly label the form of vOUT as a function of vIN over the same range.

VS

R
+
M
+ vOUT
vIN
- -

Figure 1: inverting MOSFET amplifier for Pre-Lab Exercises 2-1 and 2-2.

(2-2) Write an expression for the small-signal gain of the MOSFET amplifier shown in Figure 1
assuming that its MOSFET is biased into saturated operation.
(2-3) Consider the network shown in Figure 2. First, assume that vOUT = 0 at t = 0. Then,
write an expression for vOUT (t) for t ≥ 0 given that vIN steps from 0 V to VI at t = 0.
 R1 +
+ vOUT
vIN R2 C
-
-

Figure 2: network for Pre-Lab Exercises 2-3 and 2-4.

(2-4) For the transient determined in Pre-Lab Exercise 2-3, determine the time at which vOUT
reaches a given VT where 0 < VT < R1R+R
2
2
VI .

In-Lab Exercises
As part of the in-lab exercises, you will measure the threshold voltage and gate-to-source capacitance
of a MOSFET. These parameters will be used to interpret the results of other in-lab exercises.
Therefore, use the same MOSFET for the MOSFET labeled as M in every in-lab exercise
described below. Remember that the MOSFET should say 2N7000 on it.
(2-1) This exercise measures the static input-output relation of the MOSFET amplifier shown in
Figure 1. To begin, construct the amplifier as shown in Figure 3, and connect the signal
generator and oscilloscope as shown. Next, set the signal generator to produce a 1-kHz
sine wave with a peak-to-peak amplitude of 3 V and an offset of 1.5 V. Thus, the signal
generator will produce a biased sine wave between 0 V and 3 V. Set the oscilloscope to
operate in its X-Y mode with an X-axis (Channel #1) sensitivity of 500 mV per division
and a Y-axis (Channel #2) sensitivity of 1 V per division. To set the oscilloscope in X-Y
mode, turn the SEC/DIV knob all the way to the left. You should now see the input-output
relation displayed on the oscilloscope. Make a sketch in your notebook of the input-output
relation and compare the displayed relation to that sketched in Pre-Lab Exercise 2-1.

Oscilloscope
Channel #1 5V

Signal 1kΩ
Oscilloscope
Generator Channel #2
M
+
-

Figure 3: measuring the static input-output relation of the MOSFET amplifier shown in Figure 1.

Also, record the following data. First, record the value of vIN above which vOUT just begins
to fall. This is the threshold voltage VTM of the MOSFET; see the sketch from Pre-Lab
Exercise 2-1. Second, record the values of vIN which correspond to vOUT values of 5 V, 4 V,
3 V, 2 V and 1 V. Alternatively, you may find it easier and much more accurate to use the
 signal generator as a programmable vIN source and measure vOUT with a multimeter.
(2-2) This exercise measures the small-signal gain of the amplifier shown in Figure 1 when its
output operating-point voltage is 2 V. To begin, construct Circuit #1 shown in Figure 4.
Adjust the potentiometer until vOUT = 2 V as measured by the multimeter. Next, connect
the signal generator and the oscilloscope as shown in Circuit #2. Set the signal generator to
zero and re-adjust the potentiometer so that vOUT = 2 V. Then, set the signal generator to
produce an unbiased 1-kHz sine wave with a peak-to-peak amplitude of 100 mV. Measure
the amplitude of both vin and vout , which are the sinusoidal components of vIN and vOUT ,
respectively; use AC coupling in Channel #1 of the oscilloscope to accurately measure vin .
The ratio of the amplitudes is the small-signal gain. Retain this circuit for the next exercise.

5V 5V

1kΩ Oscilloscope 1kΩ

Channel #1 Oscilloscope
Signal Channel #2
+ Generator 10kΩ
10kΩ M M +
vOUT +
+ vIN vOUT
- - -
-

Circuit #1 Circuit #2
Figure 4: measuring the small-signal gain of the MOSFET amplifier.

(2-3) The experiments in this exercise will use Circuit #2 constructed in In-Lab Exercise 2-2
to explore the limits of saturation operation of the amplifier by observing clipping of an
output waveform and by listening to distortion in music output. Start by adjusting the
input bias with the potentiometer, and observing the variation in vOUT . Now, increase
the peak-to-peak amplitude of the sine wave input from the signal generator to 300 mV.
Observing the output on Channel #2 of the oscilloscope, increase the input bias voltage
until you see clipping on the bottom part of the output. Use DC coupling in Channel #1
of the oscilloscope to make a note of the upper excursion limit of the voltage vIN . Similarly,
decrease the input bias voltage until you see clipping on the top part of the output, and
make a note of the lower excursion limit of the voltage vIN . These upper and lower limits
of vIN approximate the input operating limits of the amplifier. The multimeters can also
be used to find the upper and lower excursion limits of the DC input voltage.
Next, replace the signal generator with the CD player (use the headphones output). Set the
CD player volume such that the peak-to-peak amplitude of the music signal vin is approx-
imately 300mV. Connect the vOUT signal to an amplifying speaker (leave the oscilloscope
connection in place) and adjust the speaker volume to listen to the music. Vary the input
bias voltage with the potentiometer and listen to the change in volume. Observing vIN on
Channel #1 of the oscilloscope (using DC coupling), increase the input bias voltage till
you begin to hear distortion. Is the upper excursion limit of the voltage vIN at the onset
of distortion approximately the same as that measured with the sine wave input? Now,
decrease the input bias voltage till you begin to hear distortion. Is the lower excursion limit
of the voltage vIN at the onset of distortion approximately the same as that measured with
the sine wave input?
 The next two exercises will analyze the delay of the MOSFET amplifier when it is used as
a digital logic inverter. Specifically, we will measure the delay of an inverter that is driving
another inverter as illustrated in Figure 6.
(2-4) Since the delay of an inverter is related to the capacitance of the node that is driven by
its output, this exercise measures the capacitance seen by the output of an inverter that
is driving the gate of a MOSFET. First, construct the circuit shown in Figure 5. You will
measure the capacitance CP seen at node P in the circuit. CP is the capacitance at node
P , and includes CGS , the gate capacitance of MOSFET M , in parallel with the oscilloscope
input capacitance and a parasitic wiring capacitance. Set the signal generator to produce a
8-kHz square wave with an amplitude of 5 V peak-to-peak and an offset of 2.5 V. Channel
#2 of the oscilloscope should display both a first-order rising step response and a first-order
falling step response. Measure the time constant of the rising step response. Since the on
resistance of the MOSFET is very small, the falling response has a very small time constant
that is difficult to measure. Therefore, we will focus on the rising step response. To measure
the time constant of the rising step response, note that the initial slope of the response is
as follows:

5
Initial slope of response = (Final voltage on capacitor−Initial voltage on capacitor)/τ ≈
τ
From your oscilloscope screen, make an estimate of the initial slope, and use that to calculate
the τ of the circuit.
5V
Oscilloscope Oscilloscope
Channel #1 Channel #2
100kΩ
Signal
Generator
M
P
+
CP
-

Figure 5: measuring the gate-to-source capacitance of the MOSFET amplifier.

(2-5) This exercise measures the delay of the MOSFET amplifier when it is used as a digital
logic inverter. Construct the circuit shown in Figure 6; As in the previous exercise, set the
signal generator to produce a 8-kHz square wave with an amplitude of 5 V peak-to-peak
and an offset of 2.5 V. Finally, use the oscilloscope to measure the delay from the time
at which the signal generator switches low (Channel #1) to the time at which the inverter
pair output (Channel #2) begins to switch low. (Note that a high to low transition of the
signal generator corresponds to a rising transition at the node P ).
 5V 5V
Oscilloscope
Channel #1
100kΩ 1kΩ
Signal Oscilloscope
Generator
Channel #2
M
P
+
-

Figure 6: measuring the delay of the MOSFET amplifier when it is used as a digital logic gate.

Checkoff List - Make sure you have the following items

(2-1) Completed Pre-Lab Exercises in your lab notebook.
(2-2) Completed In-Lab measurements in your lab notebook. Make sure you’ve read each of
the In-Lab Exercises carefully to note what measurements must be taken.
(2-3) Working circuit from In-Lab Exercise 2-5.
Post-Lab Exercises
(2-1) This exercise examines how well the MOSFET amplifier model developed during Pre-Lab
Exercise 2-1 explains the input-output relation measured during In-Lab Exercise 2-1. The
model contains four parameters which are required to numerically evaluate the input-output
relation: VS , R, VTM and K. From Figure 3, VS = 5 V and R = 1 kΩ. Further, VTM was
measured during In-Lab Exercise 2-1. Thus, only K is unknown. Use the value of vIN
recorded for vOUT = 1 V to determine K. Then, use the numerical parameters and the
model to graph vOUT as a function of vIN for 1 V ≤ vOUT ≤ 5 V. Note: You are encouraged,
although not required, to use Matlab to plot the graph. See the Matlab handout at the end
of the lab packet. On this graph, also plot the data measured during In-Lab Exercise 2-1.
How well does the model explain the data?
(2-2) From the data recorded during In-Lab Exercise 2-2, compute the small-signal gain of the
amplifier for vOUT = 2 V. From the data recorded during In-Lab Exercise 2-1, again
compute the small-signal gain by estimating the slope of the input-output relation at vOUT =
2 V. Finally, compute the small-signal gain from the analysis of Pre-Lab Exercise 2-2 using
the parameters determined during Post-Lab Exercise 2-1. Do the three gains match well?
(2-3) Figure 2 models the behavior of node P in Figure 5 when the MOSFET of the first inverter
stage is off: R1 is the 100 kΩ resistor; R2 models the oscilloscope input resistance; and C
models CP . Recall CP is the capacitance of node P , and includes CGS , the gate capacitance
of MOSFET M , in parallel with the oscilloscope input capacitance and a parasitic wiring
capacitance. Assume that the oscilloscope input resistance and capacitance are 10 MΩ and
15 pF, respectively. Combine the analysis of Pre-Lab Exercise 2-3 and the time constant
measured during In-Lab Exercise 2-4 to determine CP .
(2-4) With VI = 5 V and VT = vT , the analysis of Pre-Lab Exercise 2-4 models the delay measured
during In-Lab Exercise 2-5. Using the parameters computed during Post-Lab Exercise 2-3,
predict the delay and compare the prediction to the measurement. Note that the oscilloscope
with its input resistance and capacitance were not connected to the MOSFET gate at node
P when the delay was measured; see Figure 6.
 Using MATLAB for Lab 2

You are encouraged, although not required, to use Matlab to plot the graph in Post-Lab Ex-
ercise 2-1. Note: This document is provided specifically for this exercise. There are a number of
resources for general help with Matlab on Athena. See http://web.mit.edu/olh/Matlab/. To use
Matlab, you must first type “add matlab” at the Athena prompt, and then invoke Matlab by typ-
ing the command “matlab” at the Athena prompt.

Start by entering the the values for VS , R, VTM and K.

VS = 5;
R = 1000;
VTM = whatever value you measured during In-Lab Exercise 2-1;
K = whatever value you computed for K;
Your ultimate goal is to generate a plot of vOUT as a function of vIN for 1 V ≤ vOUT ≤ 5 V.
In In-Lab exercise 2-1, you measured vIN for vOUT = 1V. You will now use this value of vIN to
generate a vector vIN of evenly spaced values between VTM and the value of vIN for which vOUT =
1V.
vIN = linspace(VTM,value measured for vIN when vOUT = 1V,50);
Type “help linspace” at the matlab prompt for details on the linspace command. Next you
want to generate a vector vOUT of output voltages corresponding the the input voltages in vIN. To
do this, you will use the expression for vOUT as a function of vIN that you came up with in Pre-Lab
exercise (2-1).
vOUT = VS - 0.5 * R * K * (vIN - VTM).^2;
Now you should have two vectors, vIN and vOUT, that you can use to plot the input-output
characteristics of your MOSFET in saturation. Now use the “plot” command to generate a plot.
plot(vIN,vOUT);
You should note that vOUT = 5V for vIN ≤ VTM . To include this in the plot, you need one more
data point.
plot([0 vIN],[5 vOUT]);
The above command will append the data point (0,5) to the plot.
Now you are done. You may want to use other commands to better format your graph. Try
the commands “title”, “xlabel”, “ylabel”, “axis”, and “grid”. For help with any matlab command,
type “help [command]” at the Matlab prompt.